Electrochemical atom vapor source and/or sink with integrated heater

Abstract

Some variations provide an atom vapor-density control system, the system comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode that is electrically isolated from the first electrode; an ion-conducting layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the ion-conducting layer is in ionic communication with the second electrode; at least one atom reservoir in contact with the second electrode or with an additional electrode, wherein the atom reservoir is electrochemically configured to controllably supply or receive atoms; a heater in thermal communication with a heated region comprising the first electrode; and one or more thermal isolation structures configured to minimize heat loss out of the heated region into a cold region. Several exemplary system configurations are presented in the drawings. The disclosed atom vapor-density control systems are capable of controlling the vapor pressure of metal atoms (such as alkali atoms) at low electrical power input.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An atom vapor-density control system, said system comprising:
 a first electrode; 
 a second electrode that is electrically isolated from said first electrode; 
 an ion-conducting layer interposed between said first electrode and said second electrode, wherein said ion-conducting layer is in ionic communication with said second electrode; 
 at least one atom reservoir in ionic communication with said ion-conducting layer, wherein said atom reservoir is electrochemically configured to controllably supply or receive atoms; 
 a heater in thermal communication with a heated region comprising said first electrode; and 
 one or more thermal isolation structures, wherein said one or more thermal isolation structures are configured as insulation to retain heat within said heated region and minimize heat loss out of said heated region and into a cold region, wherein said thermal isolation structures include at least one solid beam that isolates said heated region from said cold region, and wherein said thermal isolation structures are characterized by an average thermal resistance of at least 100 K/W. 
 
     
     
       2. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein said ion-conducting layer is ionically conductive for at least one ionic species selected from the group consisting of Rb + , Cs + , Ca 2+ , Na + , K + , Sr 2+ , and Yb 3+ . 
     
     
       3. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein said ion-conducting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of β-alumina, β″-alumina, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       4. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein said atom reservoir is in contact with said second electrode. 
     
     
       5. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein said atom reservoir contains an intercalable compound. 
     
     
       6. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein said heated region further comprises said second electrode. 
     
     
       7. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein said heated region further comprises at least a portion of said ion-conducting layer. 
     
     
       8. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein said heater is a thin-film resistive heater. 
     
     
       9. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein said thermal isolation structures are characterized by an average thermal resistance of at least 1000 K/W. 
     
     
       10. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said thermal isolation structures is integrated into said ion-conducting layer. 
     
     
       11. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said thermal isolation structures forms a wall of said atom reservoir. 
     
     
       12. The atom vapor-density control system of  claim 1 , wherein said atom vapor-density control system is disposed within a vapor-cell system comprising a vapor-cell region configured to allow at least one optical path into a vapor phase within said vapor-cell region. 
     
     
       13. A method of operating an atom vapor-density control system, said method comprising:
 (a) providing an atom vapor-density control system including (i) a first electrode; (ii) a second electrode that is electrically isolated from said first electrode; (iii) an ion-conducting layer interposed between said first electrode and said second electrode, wherein said ion-conducting layer is in ionic communication with said second electrode; (iv) at least one atom reservoir in ionic communication with said ion-conducting layer, wherein said atom reservoir is electrochemically configured to controllably supply or receive atoms; (v) a heater in thermal communication with a heated region comprising said first electrode; and (vi) one or more thermal isolation structures, wherein said one or more thermal isolation structures are configured as insulation to retain heat within said heated region and minimize heat loss out of said heated region and into a cold region, wherein said thermal isolation structures include at least one solid beam that isolates said heated region from said cold region, and wherein said thermal isolation structures are characterized by an average thermal resistance of at least 100 K/W; 
 (b) providing an atom-vapor apparatus selected from the group consisting of a vapor cell, a cold atom system, an atom chip, an atom gyroscope, an atomic clock, a communication system switch or buffer, a single-photon generator or detector, a gas-phase atom sensor, a nonlinear frequency generator, a precision spectroscopy instrument, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an atom interferometer, a magneto-optical trap, an atomic-cloud imaging apparatus, and an atom dispenser system, wherein said atom-vapor apparatus is configured with said atom vapor-density control system; 
 (c) with said heater, heating said heating region of said atom vapor-density control system; and 
 (d) applying a voltage between said first electrode and said second electrode, thereby adjusting atom vapor density within said atom-vapor apparatus. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein said thermal isolation structures are characterized by an average thermal resistance of at least 1000 K/W. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein said thermal isolation structures contain a material selected from the group consisting of β-alumina, β″-alumina, α-alumina, silica, quartz, borosilicate glass, silicon, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, mica, polyimide, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , wherein said ion-conducting layer is ionically conductive for at least one ionic species selected from the group consisting of Rb + , Cs + , Ca 2+ , Na + , K + , Sr 2+ , and Yb 3+ . 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , wherein said atom reservoir is in contact with said second electrode. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 13 , wherein said heated region further comprises said second electrode. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13 , wherein said heated region further comprises at least a portion of said ion-conducting layer. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of said thermal isolation structures is integrated into said ion-conducting layer.